Pay Less for Your Holiday Spirits

By

Jeanette Pavini

December 23, 2012

Retail sales at beer, wine and liquor stores amounted to nearly $5 billion last December. That's over $1 billion more than any other month that year. Fortunately, there's no need to break your holiday budget over happy hour. Retailers are fighting for your drink dollars by offering sales and incentives all season long.

Here's how you can save on alcohol during the holiday months.

Celebrate With Bubbly: We're in the heart of champagne season and you can expect to see deals through New Year's, but don't limit yourself to this one kind of bubbly. Only sparkling wines produced in the Champagne region of France can truly earn the "Champagne" label, making it rare. So consider less-expensive sparkling wine alternatives like Italy's Prosecco or Spain's Cava.

Score Warehouse Prices: Find some of the best prices on wine and liquor at warehouse stores. Laws and policies vary by state and store, but generally membership fees can't be charged for alcohol purchases, which means nonmembers can capitalize on discounts, too. (That means in some states you needn't be a member of
Costco
,
Sam's Club or other big-box club to shop in the liquor department.) These stores are stocked with alcohol-themed gift sets this time of year. You can save if you buy a set and divide it into multiple hostess gifts.

ENLARGE

Marc Rosenthal

Choose a Second Label: Find out if your favorite wine brand has a second label product they sell for less. These lines use younger vines or grapes that weren't up to the standards set for the primary line, and are often aged for a shorter amount of time. Even so, you will still get a quality product from the same family of wine you enjoy, and at a much more affordable price.

Buy in Bulk: It may just pay to buy wine in bulk. Most wineries offer discounts when you buy by the case, but now a lot of grocery and drugstores offer discounts when you buy a six pack. Usually, you will save around 10%. When you're entertaining, stick to bottles of wine under $10, pour into a decanter, and most guests won't think twice.

Join the Club: Of-the-month clubs for beer, wine and spirits of all kind are a popular holiday gift, but do your research to avoid surprises on your bill. Many clubs give you an average cost per month and it varies depending on what is actually selected for delivery. Ask for a list of past shipments and prices to get a realistic idea of what you will be paying and receiving. As a club member, you should be getting the best deals, so use this list to compare with other online prices. Remember to factor in taxes and shipping costs to the total, and ask if they offer quarterly or every-other-month shipments to cut down on your overall cost.

Look for Substitutions: Around the holidays, we often come across those recipes that call for a one-off ingredient. If it's an alcohol you have no interest in drinking, then we're talking $20 just to use a tablespoon. Don't do it. Search for a substitution. A few common ones are orange-juice concentrate instead of Grand Marnier or Triple Sec, ginger ale instead of champagne, or extracts like rum extract for brandy, almond extract for amaretto, and spearmint extract for Crème de Menthe. And in savory dishes, you can often substitute chicken broth for white wine.

Save on Brew: If you love a cold beer and a good deal and believe in brand loyalty, then check out SaveOnBrew.com. It is a search engine just for beer sales covering more than 50,000 retail locations in the U.S. Type in your ZIP Code and search by brand or store to find the best deals on brew near you. They only post advertised prices, so you will only see beers that are on special.

Expand Your Repertoire: Drink wine from lesser-known regions, which generally sell their wine for less as they try to build a reputation. Try wine from places like Argentina, South Africa, or if you want to stick to the U.S., Washington is an up-and-coming region with great prices.

Redeem Your Rebates: Rebates are a common find in the alcohol aisle, and as long as you remember to mail them in, you can save a lot. Often, it requires a food and alcohol purchase like a beer brand offering a $5 rebate when you buy a 12-pack and $5 worth of chips. There is an exception. Certain states don't allow rebates on alcoholic beverages, so you don't even have to buy the booze to qualify for the rebate, meaning you can skip the beer, buy the chips and get $5 back. Basically you're getting a free afternoon snack, compliments of the beer brand.

Be Smart: Always remember to be not only responsible for yourself but your guests. Don't over serve alcohol at your parties and if someone is feeling tipsy, don't let them drive. Plan for designated drivers or use public transportation. Enjoy the good cheer this holiday by getting those deals and keeping everyone safe!

—Jeanette Paviniis a columnist for MarketWatch. Read more at marketwatch.com.

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